The Glue James Stringer

In this episode, we’ll be discussing the nerve racking, unpredictable and exciting world of event management.Since lockdown, most people’s views of being at in-person events, meeting other people and gaining knowledge has changed to some degree.Therefore, we consider questions including:What event strategies are proving successful in the post-COVID world? Which events are most impactful – ‘own brand’ or sponsorship?How is ESG influencing event management and how should we be responding?H...

In this episode, we discuss alumni programmes.Are these just feel good and self-serving exercises to make professional services management teams feel that they are staying in touch with people who they no longer employ, or are they actually a two-way street where those who take part get benefits as well?We consider questions including: What is the purpose of an alumni programme? Is there any evidence that they have created a return on investment for the firm? Can any firm...

While all professional service firms are seeking growth, having worked in big law and the Big Four, I recognise that different firm’s attitudes to sales vary from enthusiasm to seeing it as a dirty word. Therefore, we will be considering questions including:Why does the idea of selling provoke such mixed reactions still?Can firms use sales professionals successfully either to augment or instead of the traditional partner model of revenue generation?If a firm wants to increase its sales e...

In this episode, we consider how we can make our thought leadership efforts even more effective. We consider questions including:What are the most important ingredients to get right if you are considering a thought leadership campaign?How can we make ours stand out? What are the best sources of this insight and what tips do my guests have on how to gain that insight in a cost-effective way?Are there any industries (either within or outside of professional services) where we should look f...

In this episode, we explore what makes for a great leadership team in a professional services firm. In our careers as BD, Marketing and Communications professionals, many of us have already or will be asked join leadership teams and this episode seeks to explore how as non-fee earners, we can best influence and contribute to these teams. We’ll be considering:- What factors contribute to great leadership.- How can a firm’s leadership best support and nurture individual practices which are...

Most days, I read something about using data to create greater insight to help market firms more effectively. This comes from writers of opinion surveys, industry groups or vendors. My issue is that I’ve been hearing this for the past 15 years. Is data actually unlocking new revenue or is marketing professional services too complex to apply a data-led approach?In this episode, we consider:- Is data really providing insight that uncovers new revenue opportunities?- In what ways are firms ...